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Timo Glock

By Toyota media
March 24 2008

screen-capture-1.png picture by Naomi_7

He might be just 26, but Timo Glock has already had a varied and successful career in motorsport, arriving at Panasonic Toyota Racing as a proven champion.

For those who had not already spotted the young German on his globetrotting rise through the ranks, his 2007 GP2 Series campaign certainly brought him to the attention of the motorsport world.

The GP2 Series is renowned as the toughest proving ground for young drivers in the world but Timo showed his fighting spirit and speed to win the championship at a nerve-wracking final round in Valencia.

"Of course, to return to Formula 1 racing as GP2 Series champion is a real honour and we've all seen how well Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton have performed as champions so that is very encouraging," Timo says. "In the end, it did not make a difference to my Formula 1 plans whether I finished first or second in GP2 but it was a big achievement to win the title and a special moment for me."

Timo was born in Lindenfels, around 250km away from the Panasonic Toyota Racing factory in Cologne, Germany, and he quickly became fascinated by motorsport.

Motorsport is the focus of Timo's life both on the track and away from it, and even when he has the chance to relax and have some fun, he is not too far away from four wheels. Like most aspiring drivers, he began racing in karts and he still enjoys a race with his friends - for him, racing and relaxation are inseparable.

He says: "When I have spare time I like to go karting with my friends. A lot of people ask why I would spend my spare time away from motorsport doing more motorsport but for me this is just natural. It's what I love doing. I find it relaxing and I can really enjoy myself."

Timo not only has passion for motorsport, he has great determination to succeed, as he showed in his first test for the team in December. He spent every possible moment working with his engineers to understand and improve the car, a tenacity he has learnt from people close to him.

"I most admire my father and my manager Hans Bernd," he adds. "Both are very focused on what they want and they work really hard to get it. I admire that."

The German is, like his new team, relatively young but has a wealth of different experience behind him since taking his first steps into the world of motorsport as a 15-year-old in karts.

After just two years of kart racing he stepped up to single-seaters and enjoyed an impressive rise through the ranks to Formula 1, via ADAC Formula BMW and Formula 3. At just 22 he was a Grand Prix racer with an unexpected Jordan debut in Canada in 2004, where he joined an exclusive list of drivers to score points in their first race, thanks to his seventh place.

Three more races followed at the end of the season before a switch to the United States for 2005, where he marked himself out as a rising star by taking Rookie of the Year honours, with a best finish of second, coincidentally also in Montreal.

However, the lure of Formula 1 was too great and he returned to prove his credentials in GP2. That looked a wise move this year when he came out on top of a tough title battle, helping him earn a race seat at Panasonic Toyota Racing in the process. 

 

GP debut : Canada 2004
GPs started : 4
Wins : 0
Pole positions : 0
Points : 2
Best championship
result:
: 19th (2004)
     
1998 : Began his motorsport career in karts.
2000 : ADAC Formula BMW Junior Cup: 1st
2001 : ADAC Formula BMW: 1st
2002 : German Formula 3: 3rd (Rookie of the Year)
2003 : Formula 3 Euro Series: 5th (3 wins)
2004 : Formula 1 - Jordan: Test driver/race driver
2005 : Champ Car World Series: 8th (Rookie of the Year)
2006 : GP2 Series: 4th (2 wins)
2007 : GP2 Series: 1st (5 wins)
Formula 1 - BMW Sauber: Test driver

 

 

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